an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind

While he did not advocate not punishing wrong deeds, Gandhi believed that violence and revenge only led to an endless cycle of further violence and revenge. The title of this article is a quotation from Mahatma Gandhi who was a great believer in ahimsa-non-violence. This story clearly illustrates how an eye for an eye can make the whole world blind. What started as a simple falling out between two old friends, led to many brutal killings and the destruction of both the families. Draupadi asked for revenge, which the Pandavas obtained by snatching away the precious jewel that Ashvatthama had worn since birth and Sri Krishna cursing him to roam around in desolation for 3,000 years. At the end of the war, he attacked the Pandava camp at night and killed Dhrishtadyumna and all five of Draupadi’s sons. The deceitful manner in which Drona had been killed reignited the fire of revenge this time, in the heart of Ashvatthama. At this point, Dhrishtadyumna attacked and beheaded him. A heartbroken Drona gave up his arms and sat down to meditate. The latter part of his speech, that it was a war elephant, was inaudible amidst the blowing of conch shells by the Pandavas. When Drona refused to believe it, Yudhishthira, who was known to always speak the truth, told Drona that Ashvatthama had indeed been killed. Bhima killed a war elephant named Ashvatthama and the word was spread that Ashvatthama had been killed. On the 15th day of the war, Drupada was killed by Drona during the fighting.Ī plan was hatched by the Pandavas to use Drona’s love for his son, Ashvatthama, to kill him.

In the battle of Kurukshetra, Dhrishtadyumna became the commander-in-chief of the Pandava army. Draupadi grew up and married the five Pandavas. From the fire of the yajna, a son, Dhrishtadyumna, and a daughter, Draupadi, were born. Drupada performed the Putrakameshti yajna to obtain a son who could defeat Drona.

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind